The European Siege tour 2022 besieged Dublin’s 3Olympia bringing with it some of the best in the metal scene, four acts in total took to the stage with those being Behemoth / Arch Enemy with guest Carcass and Unto Others.
First of the guest to take the stage were a band I was sorry I missed back in March and that was ex-Idle Hands now Unto Others from Portland Oregon bringing their blend of Gothic Rock to the night.
Playing from 6.10pm to 6.40pm consisting of 6 songs and a dimly lit stage for the majority of they set.
Sure it wouldn’t be goth is it wasn’t dark.
Second of the guests it was time for some grindcore from English veterans Carcass ripping up the stage and getting the fans rightly worked up with lots of fists in the air and shouts of hey hey hey back and fourth, They dedicated a new song to all the parents that were at their McGonagles show in Dublin back in 1989.
Set List.
Exhume to Consume
Buried Dreams
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
This Mortal Coil
Dance Of Ixtab
The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
The view of the stage was then blocked by a large red & white drop-sheet bearing the words Prue Fucking Metal while the stage is set for Arch Enemy, everyone waiting and anticipating the start, an intro plays and the sheet drops as the band run on stage.
Opening with Deceiver, Deceiver the pace was set and what followed for the night was one hell of a show, with band and Alissa putting to use the steps and riser that the drums were sat up on.
Song three brought us back to 2001 with Alissa saying lets play something old shall we and it was Ravenous.
The Eye Of The Storm followed after which the crowd were asked, When was the last time we were in Dublin? the answer was screamed back! 2014, to this Alissa roared WHAT? we need to do this more, a lot! more, do yous want another new song Dublin? and with jets of smoke shooting into the air they broke into House Of Mirrors and then things took a flip right back to an older song My Apocalypse with more smoke and the fans encouraged to jump jump jump and during this were asked, take out your lights, anything your phone, your lighter, light them up and ending with more jets of smoke with Alissa shouting PRETTY COOL DUBLIN!
Ok Dublin the video for this one was done with a pretty insane crowd, lets see can yous do better? and of-course it was The Watcher and the crowd went crazy.
The stage went dark and then the band played an intro on their own and then a caped finger appeared beside the drums and walked down the steps and the vocals of The Eagle Flies Alone and Alissa swirling the cape about and at times encouraging different sides of the venue to scream before the whole venue was encouraged and the stage plunged back into darkness as the song ended.
Handshake with Hell and Sunset Over The Empire with the venue shaking under the power of Sunset Over The Empire and during which the crowd were lit up so Alissa could see them and getting them to sing along.
It was songs like As the Pages Burn / Snow Bound brought us to the last song of the night were Dublin was told we are Nemesis and the show ending with Alissa wave a large flag of the bands logo.
WOW! how was anyone meant to follow what came from Arch Enemy! but little did we know what we were in for from Behemoth, again a large drop-sheet blocked the stage, this time just a plain white one, pretty boring you might think till the sound starts and a shadowy figure is seen lurking behind and a face lit up by a handheld light and singing after which the sheet again is dropped to reveal the stage setting.
Three large mic stands with Behemoths now famous use of symbols are set slightly back of front of stage, drums are again up on a riser and the Behemoth Ouroboros/Triangle/Cross logo hanging against a backdrop, this logo changing colours throughout the set, two risers were at front of stage also which were put to good use by Nergal and his band mates.
The band themselves adorned in the usually face paint and all black ready to commence sermon upon the fans.
Commence they did with Post-God Nirvana (a live debut) followed up with Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer and The Deathless Sun.
Song four Ov Fire And The Void brought on lots of hey hey hey chants from the crowd with horns raise in the air.
Just before the next song Nergal is heard saying look at this, just look! every time we come here it gets bigger and better and started into Thy Becoming Eternal (First time played in front of a live audience) next up came songs like Conquer All and Bartzabel with Nergal having left the stage to come back on with his headdress to accompany Bartzabel and it was now were the tick white smoke started to appear coming from each side of the drums and trailing down and out across the whole stage floor just to about calf high and lit up with white & blue light, this combined with the red/orange stage lights and stage props just made for something out of some fantastic theatre show.
Christians To The Loins started up with the two drummers. Next followed by Nergal saying, so when your enemy is at your door its off to war and yep you guessed it, it was into Off To War! after which the crowd are asked, show me your peace signs, no one understood, so Nergal showed them by raising two middle fingers to the crowd and saying there’s your peace signs!
No Sympathy For Fools which hadn’t been played since 2006 was next on the cards, then Daimonos / Versvs Christvs (another live debut) and the night ended with Chant For Eschaton 2000.
If you like music, if you like theatre regardless of the music style go see these guys play.
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